Getting SMART About Training
How using SMART goals can help drive safety training success.
- By David Kopf
- Jun 11, 2024
Chances are you’ve heard of a SMART goal. The acronym SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-related, and it’s been around since consultant and former corporate planning director George Doran introduced the concept in a 1981 paper, “There’s a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management’s goals and objectives,” which was published in the journalManagement Review.
It also turns out that SMART goal planning is a great tool for ensuring sound and effective safety training, according to Rachel Hook, GSP, ASHM, Training and Quality Manager at KPA, which provides safety management and workforce compliance software and services for a wide range of businesses. Hook has a background in safety management and writes and reviews training curricula at KPA.
“Training is something we do every day here at KPA, and doing it efficiently is something that’s important to us not only for our business but for our employees,” she says. “So having SMART goals that drive training is something that we feel can really help our customers and clients.”
: A Common Framework
To begin with, SMART goals align everyone’s focus, ensuring that all team members understand that safety is a priority. This alignment helps to foster a positive safety culture and reinforces the message that every aspect of our operations is important, Hook explains.
That simple SMART acronym then creates a common framework to help the organization shape safety training and ensure its success:
- Specific: This addresses questions such as what needs to be achieved, who is responsible, and what steps should be taken to reach these goals.
- Measurable: Here, we consider how to track progress. For instance, this could involve using software to monitor training completion rates or to analyze post-training assessment scores.
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This article originally appeared in the June 2024 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.
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